"I'm not picking," Leila said.
She was pacing. What the fuck was wrong with her best friend? How do you mistakenly hit send on two different pictures? Fucking liar. It was not a mistake.
"You have to pick," Freya insisted.
"I hate you," she spat at her best friend who dropped the phone on her palm.
What would she say to him?
"Love you too," Freya murmured.
Summoning courage, Leila swiped up on her screen. They spoke at the same time.
"It was a mistake."
"I like the red more."
They both laughed. Kelvin murmured, "You go first."
"No, you go first."
Leila traced a circle on the floor with her foot, a fire started in the pit of her belly at the sound of his voice.
"I like the red. It's perfect."
Her voice came out as a squeaky, "I didn't send the pictures." Kelvin hummed, she was sure he didn't believe her but he had to hear it. "I'm serious, Kev. Freya sent them."
"Does it matter?"
"Yes. No." She stopped picking at the thread on the hem of the lingerie and hugged herself. "I guess not."
"Pick the red and the black ones." Leila swallowed down her argument. She liked the black too. "Use the card, okay?"
Leila shook her head knowing he couldn't see her, and Freya threw her a questioning look she ignored. As soon as they were done here, she would head straight home. Once Kelvin returned, she would delete those pictures. Would she? They were man and wife, he wouldn't dare share the pictures. Leila didn't want to take chances, she would delete them on his arrival.
"Kev-"
"Use the card, Leilani."
Kelvin ended the call with a note for her to get as much lingerie as she needed. Her cheeks were the colour of tomatoes when she pulled the phone off her ear. Not only did her husband see her in lingerie, he picked some for her. Leila frowned at the untouched pile and Freya grinned. That girl would get it from her.
"You're dead," Leila said, marching towards Freya but her best friend was too fast. She chased her around the dressing room for a little while longer until her lungs gave away. The girls collapsed on the couch, holding their stomachs and laughing at their folly. Leila waggled a finger at Freya. "You're so stupid."
"You're welcome," her friend chirped. "And at least we know he's not gay."
Leila never ever thought he was.
They finished their shopping without any mishap. Leila's smile was small as she passed the black card her husband gifted her to the cashier. It was her first time using it.
If Kelvin hadn't called, she would not have used it. The card had been lying untouched in her purse since the day he gave her. She made a mental note to pen down the expenses of today. If their marriage didn't work out, she wanted to be able to pay him every dime.
"He gave you that?" Freya whispered into her ear.
The cashier offered Leila the receipt and they went out of the store clutching bags. They were inside a cab before she finally replied to Freya. "Yeah, it was a gift."
His first gift to her as a husband. The bracelet was her first, she had to do more for him. Cooking, except on weekends, was out of the question. What did he like?
"Wow." The bags containing their lingerie crinkled between them. Kelvin's words floated to her subconscious and Leila giggled. If she had guts, she would have sent him pictures of herself in the other colours. "I wish Darren would give me a black card."
There was a faint longing in Freya's voice, she looked away before Leila met her gaze. Leila slipped her hand into her friend's and gave it a small squeeze. Things were a bit difficult for her best friend, and if it was within her power, she would take away Freya's pains. Their finances dwindled after spending so much on Freya's surgeries.
Freya had been trying to get pregnant for a while. None of the treatments worked and each treatment was more expensive than the last. They paused it for later but Leila knew how much her friend longed for kids. It had been Leila's idea to adopt the cat so here friend had some company in the absence of her husband. She even paid for it.
The car zoomed past the streets and a thought hit Leila hard as she stared at her friend's side profile.
Kids were part of the agreement with Kelvin. A normal life or an attempt at it, with kids. How many kids would Kelvin want? They hadn't discussed that outside their first date. What if she was barren?
The cab slowed when they neared her apartment, Leila took out the bags but Freya stopped her with a hand on her wrist. Her best friend's lips puckered in a frown.
"Do you think your husband can look into Darren's project?" The big project Darren was convinced would change their lives if he got a sponsor. "Just a peek. Pleasssee."
Avoiding the gaze of the driver through the rearview mirror, Leila leaned back in the seat. She and Kelvin weren't so close but she could try. He would not deny her knowing how important it meant to her friend.
"I'll see what I can do. Send me the details."
* * *
Few days later and Kelvin wasn't back home yet. Leila was already used to it, or at least she tried to adapt. She typed furiously on her laptop, hoping to make the adjustments to the slides before his arrival.
Someone knocked on her desk. Lily. A smile lifted Leila's lips as Lily slid into the seat before her. They had not seen each other since she left the hotel. Susie was seated at her table and she waved when Leila looked in her direction. The two ladies looked like they enjoyed the time off at the hotel.
"How are you now?" Lily asked. She pulled out a card from her pocket. It read: Get well soon. Leila tossed the card back to Lily with a frown. She was perfectly fine. "What?"
"What not?" Leila fired. "What's this for?"
"Oh, this." Lily drew a circle on the card while laughing. "We picked this on our last day at the hotel. It's for you." Leila rolled her eyes and Lily brows furrowed as she took in Leila's face. "Amara said you had to leave earlier because you didn't feel so good."
Leila covered her slip up with a small smile. Oh. Yeah. Shit. "I feel much better now," she replied. "My best friend took care of me."
They ended up spending the night at her place instead of Freya's. In the morning, they moved to Freya's.
"I see."
Leila couldn't guess what Lily saw but she didn't have a chance to ask when Mike walked up to her table holding a bouquet. He sniffed it and set it down on her desk with a grin that disgusted Leila. Lily made a brief eye contact and winked before excusing herself.
There was nothing between her and Mike. Argh. It would take more to convince the whole department if he kept up with this attitude. She glared at Lily heading over to Susie's desk. Both women would badger her with questions later. Mike occupied Lily's seat. His smile was innocent but she wanted to throttle him. When he leaned forward, Leila wished for him to vanish.
"Hey." His arms were crossed on the desk. The flowers were forgotten as his eyes scrolled over her body. Leila wanted to do only one thing: slap him across his cheek with the flower while screaming for him to stay away from her or face her husband's wrath. "I was thinking we could go out for lunch. Maybe tomorrow?"
At the mention of food, her belly groaned. Again, she forgot to eat. Without Kelvin, she had returned to her former lifestyle of eating when she remembered.
"No, thanks."
"Leila. . ."
"No." Leila held a hand up to stop him from interrupting her. Right now, she was struggling to be calm. "Listen to me, Mike. I'm not interested. Nothing can happen between us, okay?"
Her phone rang. Leila hurriedly picked on spotting Kelvin's name. She rolled her chair back to get some privacy. When Kelvin's voice came on, he didn't sound pleased.
"Have you had lunch?" was his first question.
She blushed. "No."
Even in his absence, he managed to evoke reactions out of her. She smoothed the lines on her black skirt.
"Why not?" At her sigh, he added, "I'll ask the driver or Amara to come get you. They will take you to Pacific." Pacific was the name of the restaurant where they always had lunch. "Order whatever you want, on me."
"No." Mike was still here. His stare made Leila uncomfortable but she didn't know how to chase him. She didn't want him to overhear her conversation. If she mentioned the restaurant's name, Mike might invite himself like he did into her office. "I have to go now." The scripts on her table would not vet itself. The slides too. "There's so much work to be done."
A second passed without her husband saying a word, Leila was convinced he must have ended the call until she heard him say, "Leila. Where are you?"
Leila bit her lips, pressing the phone harder to her ear. "The office."
"With who?" Kelvin's tone was lower. Leila glared at Mike, willing him to leave but he relaxed on that seat. She didn't give Kelvin an answer and he said, "You're with him."